…and felt completely comfortable while doing.
I love being outside and hiking, but it can be hard to wrangle friends to go – getting people to say they want to go hiking is easy, getting them to actually go, not so much – and hiking solo can be scary. It’s a catch-22: I love the solitude of nature but it can feel very vulnerable from a safety perspective when alone.
Fortunately, I’ve found some great baby hikes in San Diego where I felt completely comfortable and safe by myself. The following are some of those hikes. When hiking alone, I prefer to have other people around so all of these are pretty well traveled and wouldn’t be considered wilderness hikes by any stretch but they’re fun none-the-less!
*Update: Looking for more? For 10 solo trail runs/hikes of varying distances and difficulties I’ve done solo in the San Diego area, you can check out this post. Or, check out this post with my full thoughts on safety and why I hike solo.*
(1) COWLES MOUNTAIN
1.5 miles up, 950 feet elevation gain
Trailhead: 7029-7055 Golfcrest Dr. San Diego, CA 92119
This was my first solo San Diego hike on Christmas Day my first year here. Well, traveled, borderline crowded trail to the summit where you can see from Orange County to Mexico. At 1,500 feet, it’s not quite a 14’er but it’s still the highest peak in the city of San Diego (but not in the county).
From the summit, you can take other trails. I ventured along one for a bit but only crossed paths with a few people so I did not feel quite as comfortable alone. Cowles is part of the Mission Trails Regional Park and there are plenty of other trails and at least four other summits in the park.
Fair warning: Cowles is completely exposed so bring water. My go-to for years has been a Camelbak.
More Info:
http://www.sandiegohikers.com/Hiking-Trails/Cowles-Mountain.html
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/cowles-mountain-trail
(2) TORREY PINES NATURAL RESERVE
Multiple distances
Reserve Entrance: 12600 North Torrey Pines Road, San Diego CA 92037
Torrey Pines is a San Diego must. It’s well-known and for good reason. I’ve been there a lot – with family, friends, dates, and solo – and it still impresses me.
The natural reserve is oceanfront with trails that wind atop coastal bluffs. Panoramic ocean views, unique viewable layers of rock and sand in the coastal cliffs, and the reserve’s namesake Torrey Pine trees (which only grow in a few areas of the world) are the highlights.
From the parking lot, you walk up a big paved hill, open to bikers and some cars, to reach the trails. The hill is the hardest stretch and the least scenic. If the tide is low, you can take trails down to the beach and enjoy a beach walk back to your car or traverse further south on the beach to Black’s Beach, known for good surf and nudists (seriously).
Parking is the biggest downside at $10-$20 depending on the day. I usually try to find parking on Carmel Valley Road saving money and getting quite a few extra steps in.
More Info:
https://torreypine.org/reserveinfo/trails/
(3) ELFIN FOREST
1.5 miles up, 870 feet elevation gain
Way Up Trail to Ridge Top Picnic Site
Parking Lot: 8833 Harmony Grove Road, Escondido, CA 92029
(overflow parking a few hundred feet past)
The aptly named “Way Up Trail” at Elfin Forest is a windy dirt trail that takes you up, up, and up to a ridgetop picnic area. It’s a well traveled trail where you’ll see a range of fitness abilities, a healthy dose of dogs, and an occasional mountain biker.
There’s a water fountain, port-o-potty, and dog water bowl at the picnic area making it a great spot to take a breather even if you are continuing on to some of the other trails that can be explored from the ridgetop.
My favorite part of the trial is crossing the quaint tree covered Escondido Creek, by bridge or if by jumping rocks (if you start on the botanic trail). This portion of the trail feels like the type of forested area where you might actually see an ELF. (Get it? ELF-in Forest.) It’s a nice change from many of the more desert-like trails in San Diego.
More Info:
https://elfinforest.olivenhain.com
(4) MUSHROOM CAVES
.85 mile (one way), 200 feet gain
Trailhead: The dead-end of North Rios Avenue, Solana Beach, CA 92075(Google Map here.)
As noted in this earlier post, the formerly secret Mushroom Caves, now Annie’s Canyon Trail, hold a special place in my heart. Photos from one of my visits to the Caves here.
Short, fun, and a little different (there’s a ladder!), the Mushroom Caves are a great go-to when you want a little outdoor time but don’t have all day. You can simultaneously view the lagoon below and the ocean from the top of the trial. The lagoon is particularly stunning when there has been recent rainfall. The views of I-5 are less picturesque but serve as a nice reminder that it’s much better to be hiking around caves than sitting in interstate traffic. If you want to extend your adventure, you can stroll around the connected lagoon trails before or after the caves themselves.
The mushroom caves are particularly convenient for those who live in the Encinitas/Del Mar/Solana Beach area and can get to them in 15 minutes.
More Info:
https://www.sanelijo.org/act
**I am still an attorney so please note that this post reflects my personal feelings on safety. I am not, and cannot, make any promises regarding safety. Distances and elevation gain are estimates based largely on the internet and my iPhone**
